Sunday, August 17, 2008

some leaf earrings i made for my housemate heather. she picked the fabric, which she thinks may be called psychedelic tomato. groovy. they are pretty big, but they look good on her. i'll have to snap a pic of her in them too.

i switched my keyboard viewer to swedish to write an email, and though i've switched it back to english, it won't stick. it keeps reverting to swedish, and then my shortcuts don't work and semicolons become ö's. my computer really wants me to write in swedish to you. såärdet! väldigtirriterande. more later. or mer sedan.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

bought some thread for some earrings i'm finally making for my roommate as a trade for a lovely hat she made me long ago.

doing some sewing and relaxing. may also rent the swedish film tillsammans (together). i've seen it like 3 times, but for some reason i'm really in the mood for it today.

rant: i watched bill moyers journal last night. i always get so riled up when i watch that show. it's scary good. last night it was about american imperialism and the wars we're in right now. it was also about how presidents (democratic and republican) and many americans want to believe america will be able to continue to prosper if we can fix the problems out there in other countries. when really we need to change america and how we are living/consuming. we're too dependent on other countries for our imports and oil, and this dependence makes us totally vulnerable. and we go along with it all because we want to consume cheaply. but there are so many horrible costs to the way we consume. basically the guest, andrew bacevich, said we need to change our energy policy and stop being imperialists. but the way he explains it all so articulately is great. you can watch it online.

it's interesting how much of what andrew bacevich talked about, even though he spoke largely about war, relates to these books i've been reading about the industrial food system. seems to me it all comes down to the fact that americans value money and cheap goods more than we value the quality of the food we put in our bodies, more than we value the earth and each other and community. of course no one believes this about themselves, but take a look at how we consume. we turn our backs on the negative impacts (including war, the destruction of soil and water, the destruction of small farms, the proliferation of sweat shops/child labor, the destruction and endangerment of plant and animal species) of the way we consume.

personally i think if we were taxed more and the government actually helped the people of the country by providing universal health care, education, energy infrastructure, public transportation infrastructure, support of small, diverse farms, support of the arts/humanities, etc., then people wouldn't need to consume cheaply because we would not have to worry about paying for all these other necessities. then we could buy (ideally a lot fewer) quality goods and foods produced/grown locally, while supporting our friends and families and living healthier lives. well i could go on and on, and obviously these topics are all very complex, and each topic has numerous books written about them. my point is, the show is good and worth watching/thinking/arguing about.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

i just finished reading plenty and was considering which i like most of these food books i've read of late: animal, vegetable, miracle, the omnivore's dilemma or plenty. i really can't decide. they are all terrific, well-written books. they all kept me rapt. they are funny, VERY informative, fascinating and mostly uplifting.

now i just want to keep reading books on these topics of the industrialization of food, global food issues, environmental issues related to food, local food/small farm issues, organics, the appreciation of flavor and food traditions, awesome chefs/cooks and the importance of diversity of crops/seeds.

it seems to me that the way we ("developed" nations) produce/consume/transport food (both in "developed" and "undeveloped" nations) is at the core of so many of the world's problems (hunger, obesity, disease, pollution, oil dependence, the end of thousands of small farms, spiritual disconnect). and as these books all touch on, food is one of the things we in america can control, on an individual basis anyway, to some degree. these books are uplifting because they are about people empowering themselves and their local farmers and food service folks. they tell of ways to avoid/battle/subvert/alter the gigantic, evil corporations and industries that control food production. plus there are mouthwatering recipes in these books.

i recommend them all! i am confident you will find them to be delectable.

the sound board blew a fuse on loch lomond, and that of course was the best thing that could have happened. everyone scooted up and they played acoustic. they were terrific and their good energy was contagious. and such perfect-strange-funny-sad lyrics.

the festival was not at all packed with people. one could sit however close one wanted to the music. there weren't any drunken loudmouths. it was super pretty, with mount hood showing herself behind the main stage all the sudden on saturday. and it was the eco-friendliest festival i've ever attended. go pickathon go! i recommend it to you!

liz and i got up early saturday and drove into portland to go to broder and bolt. portlanders are just so nice.